Return to Grace: Eldorne
by Theola
Summary: The Eldorne family returns to grace with the Crown. Rating PG13 so far, but really nothing bad has happened.


A/N: Music Maker is laying low for a while, here's a fresh idea)  
  
1 Return to Grace: Eldorne  
  
***point of view will switch between twins. Starts with female twin.  
  
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When people keep telling you that you can't do a thing, you kind of like to try it  
  
~Margaret Chase Smith  
  
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Eldorne was, in my opinion, the perfect place to grow up. It was buried deep in the heart of hill country, surrounded by beautiful trees with a sparkling clear river running right through the middle of the fief, weaving through the town and underneath the arch in the castle. My twin brother and I were noble children, Lady Danica and Lord Auden of Eldorne. We had the stereotypically Eldorne features- brown curly hair and emerald green eyes. Technically though, we'd never be the official lord or lady of Eldorne. We had fourteen older siblings, whom my mother was certain were more "useful" than us. Lady Thema, our mother, ruled over the household with a fist of iron, but completely ignored Auden and me. She looked down her nose at us. We should have known all along that she was upset, though with herself or us was uncertain. She was upset because the only two children with a large gift were the ones that would never be worth anything. In her opinion, younger children in big families such as ours are more often than not worthless.  
  
Thema only had a few rules for Auden and I. We had to be on time for everything, we had to mind our manners to her, the family, and any noble guests, and – most importantly- we were only permitted to use our gifts to light a fire. She was convinced for some reason that twins were hellions as a rule, and never wanted us to lash out with our gifts against her. After finding a teacher to instruct us in candle lighting and control, she had a necklace made. On that necklace was a small, magicked pendant that would glow and get warm if we were to us our gifts for anything other than what was allowed.  
  
Other than that, Thema left us alone, spending time with our older brothers and sisters, hopping they would be able to return the family to grace with the king, through some unlikely miracle. Auden and I didn't sit around the castle. We went every day into the city. We didn't stick out, since mother dressed us in cheap common folk clothing anyway, and we had a ton of fun. We danced in the river, sat on the laps of chess-playing old men, gossiped with the bakers' wives, explored the forests which encompassed Eldorne, and so on. What we learned in manners and humility came from the adults of the fief. I thank the gods every day for their lessons on morals and equality. The people in town not only taught us proper manners, but that everyone had the right to be respected. Though this makes the town seem like an etiquette school, passing time there was really quite fun.  
  
However, spending time in town wasn't our favorite activity. What we liked most of all was playing "Old Widow." We found our about her when Auden and I were seven. We had heard about her from our chess-playing friends. On top of the highest hill on the outskirts of town sat a tidy old cottage, made of neatly cut wooden boards. An old widow lived inside, and had a Carthki maid who attended to her and ran errands. Rumor had it that she had had three husbands before, and was married to them each a week prior to their deaths. At the one week anniversary of each marriage a body would be found floating towards town on the main river. No evidence had ever been found against her, so she continued to live as secluded a life as possible. Not like she had to try hard, since no one would venture near her. No one but us, of course. Our eyes had as big and round as summer mushrooms after hearing the tale, and the first chance we got we raced to the edges of our parents property to get a look at the place. We proceeded to climb the tallest tree we could find and from there we stared at the home. It was neatly keep up. The yard was absent of weeds, and the front porch was obviously dusted. Occasionally we had to dive in close to the truck of the tree- to avoid being seen by the maid- but other than that we watched the house. And we continued to watch the house, every day that summer. Of course, we didn't just stare. We soon began a game we called "What if the Old Widow…." which was later shortened to "Old Widow." We'd make up stories, mostly hypothetical situations. "What if the Old Widow came into town?" "What if the Old Widow decided to marry again?" And then we would make up some crazy story following the question. However, we never asked, "what if the Old Widow saw us?" I think we were scared of the answer. But whether we asked it or not, we got the answer.  
  
One summer morning, when Auden and I were eight, we sprinted towards are tree. I was winning, and as I rounded the last bend I looked at the base of the tree and stopped dead in my tracks. Auden crashed into me, pushing us both to the ground.  
  
"What'd ya do that for, Dani?" he complained as he rubbed his neck and gave me a hand up. Then he saw her. Standing at the base of the tree was the Carthaki maid. Her hand rested in the front pockets of her apron.  
  
"My mistress would like to see you," she said kindly. She was unfazed by the sight of us, as spoke as though she talked to us every day.  
  
Auden was scared. I could feel him shaking behind me. I, however, was mystified. Get to go into the house and meet the Widow? It was adventure I had only thought of in dreams. I started advancing towards the maid, but my twin grabbed my hand.  
  
"What are you doing?" his eyes bugged our as he pronounced every syllable slowly and with stress. "The woman is a MUREDER."  
  
At that point the maid started to snigger. "I assure she is no murderer. She's very kind. Rumors are just that, children, rumors. Please, I know she wants to meet you."  
  
Auden continued to clutch my arm. I yanked it free. "Fine. If you want to be a baby, baby, you can stay here. It's not like mother will care anyway. I'M going to go meet her." On that note I spun my heel and marched up to the maid with, of course, Auden tagging along right behind me.  
  
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The house wasn't dark or forbidding like I had expected. The walls weren't lined with shelves of poison, and murder weapons didn't hang from the ceiling on chains. Just like the outside of the house, the inside was well kept. White lace curtains were drawn back from clean widows. The walls were painted a creamy eggshell, and in the center of the main room was a pretty homemade rug. A rocking chair was seated next to a basket of yarn, and the sofa had a quaint country quilt over the top. The adjacent rooms seemed to be just as inviting. The Old Widow came walked in from the kitchen moments after we had entered, carrying a plate of hot gingerbread cookies. Auden and I, just like so many other 8-year-olds, immediately took one when offered. Don't worry, they weren't poisoned or anything.  
  
"Hello, Danica and Auden. I've waited a long time to meet you children. You have such large gifts," she said. Her voice wasn't hard and cold, as I had expected. Instead it was warm and nurturing, like that of a grandmother. She held us in rapt attention. How did she know our names? We wondered. How did she know we were gifted?  
  
"I have the gift too. I can see yours in you," she said. "And I know your names because you spy on me everyday."  
  
At this point the two of us blushed. We had actually thought that nobody knew we were in that tree. I thought she'd be very angry. But when she saw our faces, she just laughed in amusement.  
  
"I'm Brina Fin. But just refer to me as Brina. Now, I'd like to know why two such gifted children use such little of their gifts. Surely you must be curious?" Though she spoke innocently, you could tell be the twinkle in her eye that she already knew the answer.  
  
"Mother put them on us," Auden said with a doleful face. "These ward things. She has a charm that lets her know if we've done any sort of magic besides lighting a candle.  
  
"Well, that's not very nice. Wouldn't you like to have those wards off?" Brina asked.  
  
"Oh yes!" we cried, and filled the air with answers of such.  
  
"I'll take them off of you, under a few conditions. One, you mustn't tell your mother they're gone. Two, you don't use your magic anywhere but up at my home, and three, visit me at least four times a week for magical instruction."  
  
Auden and I were spellbound. There was nothing we wanted more than our wards off, and to use our magic. We immediately agreed.  
  
Brina chanted some words, and it felt as though shackles fell off our wrists. We rubbed our wrists even, as though metal bracelets had chafed them for a long time. Then we flung ourselves at Brina, giving her a hug. So began a relationship that would have consequences far more important than anything two eight-year-olds had ever dreamt of before.  
  
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Four years later. Mother was now making me wear the head kerchief that peasant girls donned as they began to mature. We were twelve years old now, and far more experienced than mother would have ever thought. Brina had been like our sergeant mother. She cared for us and loved us and we loved her in return. She had taught us so much- basic healing, herbs, levitation of small items, flame throwing, and a number of other useful techniques. We were far more experienced than several of the fiefs midwife/healers. It was that August that everything started to change. Brina kept saying that we needed to go to a university to study. Auden and I told her mother would never send us to one. But that was not the end of the argument.  
  
On the night of the 24th, it was raining hard. My twin and I were headed upstairs to bed, when a pounding came at the front doors of the castle. We rushed to the banister- we rarely got visitors. Though nothing could prepare us for the shock that lay in our vision on the other side of the railing. A woman stood there. She wore a white cloak that was fastened at the throat with an intricate silver buckled. The cloak swirled around her in the wind and rain. And as she threw back her hood, we realized who it was.  
  
Brina. Her salt and pepper hair was twisted into a bun, showing her proud face with defined age lines. I think she shocked our doorman a bit. He bowed several times as he announced he would fetch Lady Thema and Lord Cordell. A few minutes passed before the man came back, slightly less flustered but still bowing as he announced that the lord and lady of the house would see her in the study.  
  
Immediately Auden and I ran for our room on the third floor, which was above the study on the first floor. We put a stay dry spell on ourselves before climbing onto the thick branches of the pine outside our window. We half- fell our way down to the window to the study. A little bit of magic allowed us to hear the conversation happening on the other side of the shutters.  
  
"Well Brina," my mother drawled. "I never expected to see you back here again. Do you have any more prophecies to make? Or is this a social visit?"  
  
"I've been teaching the children magic, Thema."  
  
I nearly screamed in surprise. Auden sensed I was about to ruin our cover, and clamped his hand over my mouth. "The last thing we need," he whispered harshly, "Is to be found out." We continued to listen.  
  
"You have done what?" my father's voice asked, with a soft and deadly tone.  
  
"I taught them everything I can at this point. It's important, to you and to this family and to this country. Stop being arrogant and looking down your noses at them because they're the youngest."  
  
My mother's voice took on a smug tone. "You're bluffing." She stated. "I have a charm that let's me know if they were to attempt such a thing. So you can stop your bantering."  
  
"Tell me," Brina's voice said with equal smugness, "how can you tell if the charm still works. You must have a maintenance word for it, that will make the charm react if it still works."  
  
I could almost see mother raising her eyebrow. "Glow," she said, presumably at the charm. A moment later we heard a screech and the sound of the pendent hitting the wall.  
  
"Treacherous Witch! Scheming sorcerer! I'll have you arrested for this…"  
  
"Stop," my father said quietly, though all could hear it. Father, I later decided, was a very smart man. He knew Brina was more powerful than he, and decided to work with rather than against her.  
  
"They need to go to the university. They must learn more about their magic. Soon, it will be too late," she said forbiddingly.  
  
"Too late for what?" Auden and I whispered in unison.  
  
"We don't have the money," Lord Cordell stated flatly. "If that's all…"  
  
"It's not," cut in the witch. "You will send them to the university. Here." The sound of a pouch of coins clinked on the desk. "If I find they have been used for anything but their education, even so much as a handkerchief, you will pay more dearly than you have for your sister's treason."  
  
With that final note, we heard the sound of a footsteps and a door being opened. We scampered up the tree and into the castle just in time to see leave our home.  
  
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The next morning, mother announced to us that we would be going into Corus soon, for we were purchasing items needed to attend the university. Despite the fact that we had overheard the conversation last night, Auden and I still felt that it must have been a dream. Even if it had happened, surely mother wouldn't let us go anyway. But go we did. It was our first trip to the capital. The sites and sound were overwhelming. After buying nice clothes, luggage, and a multitude of other things we never thought would be gifted to us, we were sent along to the university.  
  
We had no company on the journey except for each other and our horses (Storm and Winter). Mother apparently wasn't going to extend every luxury, though it was nice to be going. My only regret was that I didn't get to say goodbye to Brina. However, I did write Brina often, though neither one of us ever mentioned where the funding for our education. It would be impolite.  
  
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What's there to say about the university? Auden's and my education grew in leaps and bounds. We shocked, and scared I believe, our teachers by how much we knew and how quickly we learned. Up until then I had never really comprehended how much Brina had taught us. There were whispers that we were moving more quickly than the youngest person to become a master, Thom of Trebond. I took this with a grain of salt. I mean, nobody can really tell how fast the Lord of Trebond moved, since he played the fool up until his written exams. At age fourteen, both of us were ready to try for our masters, to see if we could beat this Thom. We never got the chance, though. A week before written exams we received word from home- we were being transferred to the University at Carthak.  
  
I was incredibly excited, more so even than Auden. I had waited my so long to travel, and here was a chance.  
  
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I loved Carthak. Slavery was horrible, but the university is where I spent most of my time. The sites, smells, and sounds were wonderful. I got to work with other mages, as well as help with projects much like Lindhall Reed's tanks. Even the court was fun (it mostly consisted of mages). I excelled a lot in battle craft, where as Auden was strong in healing, though each other's strong spots were never the others weaknesses. We seem to feed off each other, as far as learning went. We also learned a neat trick- mind speech. It's something only strong twin mages can learn. We both excelled in weather control, though it wasn't recommend to practice it a great deal without first consulting a council of seers. To the great shock of those around the court, but not our teachers, we were red robed at age 16, the youngest red robes in two centuries' time. We began studying the more arcane forms of magic, and this time to everyone's shock (including our own) we became black robe mages at age 18, the youngest ever.  
  
Our parents, well, more of mother, wrote to us for the first time in the seven years of our education. She gushed about how proud she was of us, and hoped we would come home to serve the crown. Auden took her letter with a grain of salt, but I was furious. She had treated us like scum for countless years, and as soon as we rose to the top she expected us to come home and repair the family honor. It took me weeks to cool down. After that, I calmly wrote back to mother that even though we had received an invitation from the king (which we had) Auden and I would be remaining here for quite some time  
  
We received no more letters after that.  
  
The next few years Auden and I spent in Carthak, working at the university often and getting paid handsomely for it- they loved having black robes on hand, even if they were eighteen. Soon though, we began to travel all over Carthak when Emperor Kaddar called on us for help with a project. The idea was genius. The project was known as Operation Emancipation for Hydration (OEH). Carthak was still suffering from severe drought. Kaddar made a deal with his nobles- if they wanted water, they would have to free their slaves. Until then, he would cut of any supply they had been receiving. It took a great deal of work to get to the point of reviving Carthak. We had to work with many other mages, mostly seers and weather wizards, to get the water flowing without causing any drought to surrounding countries. Auden and I were the unofficial project generals, running most of the magical processes. The emperor and his council handled the political matters.  
  
It took two years, we were twenty by now, but most of the empire had been freed. OEH was running smooth as butter, barely needing anything more from us than our magic. It was a good thing the management was done, because that's when we received word from home.  
  
Lady Thema had died.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: More about Auden in the next chapter. It will be in his point of view. Please review. If you feel the need to criticize, please do so constructively. 


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